Songs of the Dead
by InvestigatingLove78
Summary: Fifty years after the Great Prophecy, a daughter of Hades was born. A prophecy warned that the next child of the Big Three would be a key element in a in-coming battle.
1. In Birth

In birth we lose them  
>to sudden defects.<br>Our minds are not open yet.  
>And all, all the life you had<br>you'll finally see.

-In Birth by Oceana

Fifty years after the Great Prophecy:

It was silent for a moment. Then came the first cry, the beginning of a new life. A baby was being born at Saint Richards' Hospital. The baby gasped in surprise, spilling tears onto the bloodied floor. The baby would be weighed, measured and given the proper vitamins. Penelope Morana leaned back against her hospital bed.

"Ma'am, here is your daughter," the lead doctor, a Thomas White said, handing the wrapped baby to the mother. The little girl opened her deep brown eyes and stared at her mother. The mother sighed, brushing her hand against the baby's cheek. "We will get you moved to recovery soon. Is the father here? I could let him in."

"No. He had work to do. Thank you Doctor White. I will let him know though," Ms. Morana said, sharply. The doctor started at the remark and then ordered some nurses to wheel the bed to the Recovery Room. The day soon swept by to night-time. A clock that was hung above the door clicked to midnight.

The door of the Recovery room swung open. In walked a man with intense black eyes and black hair. He was dressed in a neat black suit and business man-like shoes. He stopped at the incubatory the child was in and picked her up. She mumbled gibberish in her sleep and turned over. He walked over to Penelope Morana's bed. Another mother woke and saw him there and started. He just waved his hand and she fell back asleep.

"What are you doing here, Leon?" Penelope asked sitting up from the shallow sleep she was in.

"I came to look at my daughter," the man replied. "She looks just like you, you know. I wish I could spend some time here but _he _calls me back."

"There it is again. _He_. Why can't you just stay? Who is this _he_, who are you?" Penelope asked. The man sighs.

"I am not Leon. I am Hades. You may know Greek mythology. I am the god of the Underworld. Zeus calls me back, the god of the sky," Hades said. Penelope's mouth opens in dismay.

"My daughter. Of the god of _death_," she gasped. Her hand clutches her chest as to make sure her heart would still beat. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have- ever!"

"I am sorry, my dear. I was just trying to protect you," Hades said, placing a hand on hers. She flinched backwards, hitting an IV bag that swings on its cord. "Zeus has gotten a prophecy. It warns that the next child of the Big Three will be a key element in a great battle. He will soon order the destruction of- what is her name?" he frowned in frustration. Ten hours had past and the child hadn't been given a proper name.

"I thought you could pick it," Penelope squeaked, pulling herself farther away from the lord of the dead. "I was thinking of Rena or maybe Abigail." She shakes her head.

"Melinda Opal Morana. A name granted by her father," Hades said, smiling slightly at the sleeping figure. He set Melinda back in her bed and kissed Penelope goodbye. "Goodbye, my love. May Melinda grow great," he said, disappearing. Penelope sat back shaken. God of the dead.

A daughter of Hades had been born.

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><p>Penelope Morana and Melinda Opal Morana were released from the hospital a few days later. Penelope drove herself to the town of Lilac, Florida from St. Mary's, Georgia. She stopped in the middle of the night at Lilac Hill Orphanage that was settled on the far side of town. She got out of the car and ran to the light doorstep. She put the baby on the ground out of the rain and slid a hastily written note in her blankets. Then she ran back to her car and stepped on the gas.<p>

The headlights disappeared into the night, leaving poor Melinda Opal Morana on the ground. With a note that read:

_This is Melinda Opal Morana. Please take care of her._

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading. PLEASE review. <strong>


	2. Called Out

**Sorry about the long, long wait. I hope you like it. Next chapter will be out shortly.**

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><p>you've been called out<br>you've got no pride  
>you've been called out<br>grow up and be a man  
>you've been called out<br>get out while you still can

-Called Out by 86 Mentality

Twelve years later:

My deep red hair flows down the side of my face and onto the test in front of me. I stare at the paper, attempting to fill in a problem. Any problem. It was no use. The words would slide off of the paper, doing 360s and somersaults around my head. I yawn, glancing up at the clock. Was that 9:45 or 9:54? I could have sworn only five minutes had gone by since the start of the test at 9:30. That was my ADHD acting up along with the dyslexia.

"You have five minutes left on the test. Please try to fill in every question," Ms. Richards says at the front of the classroom. I glance down at the sheet again. Sighing, I fill in random bubbles for the multiple choices. It was no use. I would still be moved back to Lilac Hills Orphanage and be expelled from this school. Goodbye, Lorella Boarding School. Hello, hell.

And wasn't going to be the first year I had flunked the final exam and been kicked out of a school. It had happened to me just about every year at different times. Sometimes I was only a week before the school caught on fire or I broke and punched someone in the face. But this year, I had lasted until the end. I had been proud but that didn't help that yesterday when a girl was yelling at me, she had passed out.

"Time's up! Please, set down your exam," Ms. Richards calls out. I swear silently and snap my pencil in frustration. I close the packet and grab my bag. With a spare glance at the clock, the bell rings. The class pours into the hallway, excited because it was the last day. I stay to the outer edges of the crowd, trying to not draw any attention to myself. I walk over to the brightly red lockers and try to slip through the crowd silently. I sigh, my face falling at the person I see ahead of me.

"What are _you _doing this summer, charity case?" Ashlynne smirks. Knowing her, as well as I do (which isn't much) she would be going on a month long cruise, celebrating in a Nice, France summer house and crashing her third red convertible.

I shrug, trying to push past her. "Depends."

"On what? Whoever you find to get money off of?" Ashlynne laughs. A good four feet around us the crowd has turned to watch. They knew she found pleasure in teasing me and making fun of people pourer and well, smarter than her.

"I don't except peoples' offerings. If you had a brain, you would know that," I snap, passing her and walking to my locker. I turn the dial three times, pulling up the lock. I grab my next class's books and stuff them into my bag. I turn around and find Ashlynne hiding behind a handful of her cheerleader friends.

"I have a brain! Daddy had to send me to the doctor to check. Speaking of the doctor, Taylor's in a coma," she hisses. I laugh slightly at the earlier comment. The name begins a series of whispers and murmurs in the crowd, gathering around me.

"Taylor?" I ask, scanning my brain for that name. Taylor… I knew she was a cheerleader and hung out in Ashylnne's posse. She was known for kissing other girls' boyfriends.

"The girl you almost killed yesterday," Brianna, another cheerleader says.

"The doctor who's treating her said there is no physical cause. So, what do you do to her witch?" Ashlynne hisses. I find myself switching between looking at the crowd and counting how many wore the new style of necklace or the window on the other wall. A sharp pain on my cheek brings me to look back at her. I raise my hand to my cheek.

"Maybe the same thing I'll do to you!" I shout, feeling my nails dig into my hand. I step forward, watching the whole cheerleading team step backwards. I raise my fist and a cracking noise sounds. Ashlynne bends over, clutching her nose.

"You'll hear from my lawyer, brat!" she screams, dashing down the hall. She stumbles before reaching the stairs and lets out an exacerbated cry. I roll my eyes, waving my hand. The crowd rushes to their next class, not wanting to be the next victim.

"Melinda Morana, please report to the office," a voice over the intercom announces. Now, everyone knew of my incident. I begin walking down the three stories to the principal's office. At the door, I hesitate before opening it. Would they expel me here or call the headmistress of the orphanage? Did I mention yet Ashlynne's father is the principal of the school? I didn't matter if I hadn't done anything (though I did), she would have me expelled before the end of the last day. I could have said I had finished a grade, but why don't destroy a dream?

"Come in!" the vice principal shouts through the door. I open the door and sit down in a chair in front of his desk. Who was he? I was positive I had never seen him before. Wasn't the vice Principal Mrs. Greene? I had seen her yesterday after I had caused that girl to collapse.

"Who are you? What happened to Mrs. Greene?" I ask, tilting my head to the side slightly.

"Melinda Morana. Give me the trident!" the principal screams. I stand up, backing up to the door.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You must have me confused and if you don't mind, I'll be leaving," I snap, turning to the door. A silver spike shoots from behind my back and hits the door, about two inches above my hand. I turn, shocked.

I had seen the creature before. It was straight out of a library book from when we had to do an essay on Mythology. Automatically, I had been given Greek Mythology and had brought home a book about five inches thick on what was well, a myth. The principal had kept his face but now had the body of a lion. A lethal, leathery tail swayed behind him. What was it called?

"You're a manticore," I realized, the word slipping from my tongue.

"Very good. But you'll have to do better than that to stay alive!" he leaps forward, another silver spike thrown from his tail. I duck, circling the outer edge of the room. He throws another one and I dive sideways behind a plant. I slowly crawl towards the desk. "This isn't a game of hide and seek. Give me the trident and I will spare your life. You refuse and I'll take it from your dead body."

"Never! I don't even know what you're talking about," I say.

_And does it look like I care_, I think. I reach the desk and pick up a stapler. With a clear throw, I toss it at the turned back of the manticore. I hear the manticore curse as it shoots a staple into the tail of it. With a final look, I slam my fist against the red button under the desk and dive out the window.


	3. I Found Myself

**Next chapter up! I won't be able to post the next chapter until Saturday or Sunday because I'll be at a camp for the week. No internet or computers. Please review while I'm gone.**

**Percy Jackson and Camp Half-Blood belong to Rick Riordan. Melinda, Logan and Celia belong to me.**

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><p>I say<br>So long, farewell,  
>My life's moving forward.<br>My ship has sailed,  
>And I'm so glad it's over.<br>My heart is well,  
>After all that I've been through<br>I found myself.

-I Found Myself by Ciara

The glass window shatters as I fall through it. My arms rise to protect my face and glass shards pierce my arms. I tumble forward into the bush. Alarms sound behind me. So that's what the red button did. I pick myself up, dashing to the front gates. Security guards and panicked fifth graders run around.

"Close the gate! No one gets out!" the principal shouts over the intercom. No one takes a single look at me as I pass them. Everyone was as freaked out as I was. There had never been a Code Red on the last day of school. Code Reds included bomb threats, gunners and intruder alerts. The iron doors begin to close.

"No," I whisper to myself. I was still about a hundred feet away and they were one fourth the way closed. I pick up the pace, slipping between a foot space.

"Hey you! You can't leave yet," a security guard yells. I ignore him, dashing out in front of a taxi.

"Where to?" the driver says with an unlit cigar in his teeth.

"Lilac Hills. Just drop me off by the orphanage."

"You know that's like a two hour drive, right?" the driver asks.

"I'm not four years old. I can pay," I say, leaning back against the seat. He starts the engine and pulls away from the school. The building still has its red lights flashing, siren sounding and security guards fuming. I close my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. The scenery rushes past in a blur and soon we're in front of the orphanage. He holds his hand out in front of my nose.

"How much do I owe you?" I ask, digging my wallet out of my bag. I pay him the right number and slide out of the side of the taxi. The orphanage had barely changed since September. The walls were bricked and the windows opened inwards. The frames of the windows, door and shutters were now painted a bright white. I walk to the front door and let myself in.

I slip up the stairs and head to my room. My suitcase had been sent over yesterday. I grab it and walk downstairs. I didn't want to ruin other peoples' lives because a monster out of a book. I would board a train and go who knows where. I knew in a few days time, the police would want me for questioning at the boarding school and for running away. What was I going to tell them? That I was saving them from a monster? The next place I would be going would be an asylum.

My suitcase bounces as I pull it down the stairs. I try to look like I'm not up to something while I pass other orphans.

"Melinda?" another orphan asks. "Where are you going?"

I ignore her and walk out the door. Getting on the local bus, I head to the train station in the middle of the town. I pull my suitcase out and hang my bag over my neck.

"Ouch. Watch it!" I snap as someone runs into my side.

"Sorry," he looks up. "Shouldn't a girl like you be at school at this time of day?"

"I'm running. Wouldn't the same count to you?"

"You got me there. Where might you be running to?"

"Anywhere, I guess," I say, feeling myself blush. He was cute. He has dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He only seemed about a year older than me. Something was bothering him though. I could tell.

"You don't seem like you're running away from your family." He selects the words carefully, laying them out on the table.

"I don't have family," I say, turning and walking inside. The train station was made out of metal and a glass wall, facing the lake. A train rumbled past, shaking the building ever so slightly. Why was he trying to dig through my soul, making me pull out every secret until no more came out? I blink a tiny tear back.

I had no family. The maiden of our dormitory said I had come the first day she had started working. I had been left on the doorstep after the doorbell had been rung. Mandatory, they had called nearby hospitals to see if they could get a mother or father. There had been none that had replied with a yes.  
>A note was all I had received. Sprawled on a basic piece of paper, word after word that lead to nothing but the same basic meaning. No one wanted me. They had kept it, tucked away in an old notebook until last year. They had told me the story and gave me the note. The only item to which I could realize there was someone out there in the world.<p>

I got in line for the ticket stand. Time ticked away at a slow pace before I reached the front.

"Next train to Charlotte, North Carolina," I say to the attendant there.

"Where are your parents, darling?" she asks, leaning over the counter. Her blonde ringlets bounce when she shakes her head.

"I want to buy a ticket," I say, crossing my arms.

"No one under fifteen can buy a ticket without a partner. Unless your family is over there, you're staying put, sweetheart," the lady says with a stern tone.

"There you are." I look up. The same boy from earlier walks up and lays some money down on the table. "Two tickets, please," he says. The lady takes the money and hands two tickets over it with his change. I frown slightly as he leads me towards the train.

"What was that for?" I snap, turning towards him.

"If you're running like me, I thought you could have someone look out for you. Let me come with you and I'll pay for everything," he says sheepishly. "I didn't get your name earlier. I'm Logan."

"Melinda," I say, holding out my hand. He smiles, shaking it. Walking slightly apart but close enough that it seems we know each other, we board the train. The seats were halfway down the train facing each other. I slide into one side while Logan goes into the other booth. The train starts in a few minutes and begins making way to Charlotte. We stay silent the whole time, watching the scenery fly by.

"So... what are you running from?" Logan asks. My eyes flicker to his.

"You first."

"I asked first."

"And I won't stay unless I know yours."

"You're good," he laughs. "Okay, my mom. Your turn."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You don't know me then. Go on," he says, leaning forward slightly. The train lurches to a sudden stop, sending me flying forward. I land in a heap before Logan who stands up. The lights flicker then go out. "What was that?"

"The only thing I'm running from," I whisper under my breath. Logan seems to not have heard me. The door of the car opens. In walks a man.  
>"What happened?" Logan asks.<p>

"Everything will be alright if you give the trident to me!" he shouts. I cringe, recognizing the face from the school. He walks past Logan, hitting him in the chest so he flies to the back of the train. He hits the wall and crumbles down.

He changes into the manticore. Two darts pin my jacket to the wall.

"The trident, girly!" the manticore yells. Another spike shoots and misses my shoulder by centimeters. His aim was improving so was his daring ability to hurt anyone. "Give it to me or the next one goes into your arm!"

"I don't have it, I swear!" I shout, throwing my hands up in surrender. Logan stirs on the other side of the train. His eyes open wide at the sight of me.  
>He stands up, drawing a deadly long bronze sword. A piercing pain followed by a sharp pain. I gasp, looking down. True to the manticore's word, the next spike was jammed about an inch into my shoulder. Logan swings his sword over his head and lands a decent blow on the tail of the beast.<p>

The manticore roars and turns to him. Logan blocks the blows of the lion part with his sword and dives behind a seat when spikes start flying. It growls, turning to me. At this point, I don't remember what happened all that well. A spike was flying at point-blank range at my face. I moved into a defensive stance, ducked underneath the razor sharp edge and touched the manticore.

"No!" he screamed, rattling the train when it fell to the ground. Slowly from the feet upwards, it turned into a pile of dust. Logan looks at me over the seat with a shocked look on his face. I'm guessing mine looked the same way. My head begins to spin. I just couldn't take all this in at once. My vision begins to darken.

"Melinda. Can you stay awake for just a bit longer? I'll get us out of here," Logan says. He grabs my arm and puts it over his neck. Grabbing both of suitcases, he begins walking through the crowd of disoriented passengers and to the next car. He sets me down in a car where my head spins faster and I black out.

I wake up, squinting against the bright sun shining through the window into my eyes. I raise a hand to my face and look around. It hadn't been a car that Logan had sent me down in. It was the engine room.

"Good you're up. I'll get on fixing your shoulder," Logan says, sitting down next to me.

"What happened to the rest of the train?" I ask, wincing when he pulls the spike out of my shoulder.

"I unlinked them from the engine. We're going faster than the whole train. I think we just passed Charlotte about five minutes ago," Logan says.

"Haven't we been pulled over by the police yet?" I ask, watching the scenery fly by even faster.

"I don't believe a police car could pull over a train even if they tried to. We'll stop soon, once we pass into Virginia," Logan says, handing me a piece of food. "Eat it. It's ambrosia. You'll feel better in no time." The ambrosia was a little square but tasted absolutely wonderful. It was the same exact richness of that red velvet cake.

"And once we stop?" I ask, rubbing my shoulder.

"My friends will come. They'll get us out of here," he says, standing up and walking to the conductor's seat. Different switches, buttons and other things lay out before the window. I walk over and watch the speed change without him touching it.

"Who's driving the train? And why was that manticore after me? What's happening?" I ask.

"A mechanical device. As for the manticore, I don't know. Melinda, I know you might not get what's going on but if I tell you, you want believe me I'm sure."

"Tell me. You believed me with the manticore."

"The Greek Gods are real, Melinda. One of your parents are a Greek God. That manticore was real and so are all of the other myths," he says. The train lurches to a stop again. "Come on. Grab your bags." We had stopped in the middle of a field. Logan throws open the door and jumps down. He holds out his hand and helps me down. 'They're here."

I look he's looking. A tiny dot in the sky grows until I can make out the shape of two horses with wings and a chariot being pulled behind it. It touches down on the top of the car and a single person jumps out of the chariot.

"You called?" she asks, smiling.

"Yes, thank you Celia. Melinda, meet Celia, daughter of Athena," he says. He pushes his bag onto the roof and helps me with mine. In no time, we're loaded onto the chariot and are flying through the sky. The two Pegasi were both brown with their long wings flapping occasionally.

After a few long and boring hours which included Logan falling asleep and almost falling off the back of the chariot, Celia gushing over a new book and me yawning too many times to count, the Pegasi begin lowering down to the ground. Celia sets her book down and grabs the reins. The Pegasi set down on a hill, stumbling a bit.

"What is this place?" I ask, taking in the sight.


	4. Bring Me to Life

**Next chapter up. I had a great time at MADD week.**

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><p>All this time I can't believe I couldn't see<br>Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me  
>I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems<br>Got to open my eyes to everything  
>Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul<br>Don't let me die here  
>There must be something more<br>Bring me to life

-Bring Me to Life by Evanescence

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><p><em>"What is this place?" I ask, taking in the sight.<em>

Next to me on the hill was a pine tree about sixty feet tall and hanging on one of the lower branches was a glimmering, golden fabric. Wrapped around the trunk of the tree was a moving, twisting serpent creature.

"Camp Half-Blood," Logan says, helping Celia unharness the Pegasi. Celia blushes when slightly when his hand touches her. It was obvious she had a crush on him.

"And that's a-" I say before interrupted.

"Dragon. And the Golden Fleece next to it. It helps enforce the borders of the camp," Logan interrupts. He sets my suitcase down on the ground. "Welcome to camp."

Camp defiantly was huge enough. At the bottom of the hill, campers were gathering. Most of them had weapons, swords like Logan's, bows and arrows or daggers. Some wore armor. My mouth falls open as I look beyond them. A half circle of cabins, each one different than the rest stand. One of them was red with barbed wire around the top while another had smokestacks sticking out the roof. A cabin made out of boulders stood near the edge. One was shimmering gold while another was similar but silver.

"Come on. I'll show you around," Logan says, grabbing my elbow and pulling me through the crowd. "Nothing to see her. Back to work."

The campers disperse in small groups of three or four. One wondered out-loud what parent was mine. Logan showed me around. There was the arena, forgery, arts and crafts, volleyball court, beach and the Big House. The three story house was painted a bright sunshine yellow and a porch ran along the edge. Sitting around a table on the porch was three people. One was a man in a dark suit and black eyes. Another man has horns growing out of his head and shaggy legs. The last man was in a wheelchair.

"Logan, I thought you were coming tomorrow," the man in the suit says casually. Logan freezes at the sight of him.

"Uncle," Logan mutters. "Chiron, I wanted to talk to you about something but I guess that can wait for a while." The man's eyes turn on me and I feel a slight chill.

While walking away, I ask, "Who was that?" My eyes flicker towards his.

"Deimos. God of terror," Logan says. "Also my uncle."

"How are you related to him?"

"My father is his twin brother."

"And your father is?"

"Phobos, god of fear," Logan says smiling every-so slightly. The idea scared me. Was he proud? Did he know _my _fear?

We continue walking to where the cabins stood. I now saw each one up close. At the top of the half circle, two cabins stood next to each other. Both had the same ancient Greek architecture. One had the faintest sounds of thunderstorms and lightning bolts flashed across the surface. The other had a beautiful peacock strutting inside the room and a pomegranate tree growing lushly outside.

"Hera and Zeus?" I ask when I see them.

"Yes. They're the rulers of Olympus so they stand at the head of the others. Of course, Hera doesn't have any demigods; it's only honorary," Logan explains.

"Which ones are empty?"

"Let's see," he says, rubbing his chin. "There's Zeus's, Hera's, Artemis's, Poseidon's and Hades's." The last name gives me a jolt.

"How come those ones?" I ask.

"Hera is the god of marriage so she only has children with Zeus. Artemis is a virgin. No kids; only Hunters to keep her company and help her. That leaves Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. They haven't had kids for sixty years," Logan face falls.

"How come?" I ask, tilting my head to the right a bit.

"There was a prophecy. It said the next child of the Big Three would be a key element in an in-coming battle. Poseidon slipped up. Probably wanted another hero. He had a girl about twelve years ago. But she disappeared."

My heart jolts at the ending. "What happened to her?"

"No one knows! They sent a satyr to go find her after her powers slipped up but neither returned. This happened four years ago."

"And Zeus and Hades never had a child?" I ask, stopping. A red glow was covering the grass around us. I look up and gasp. A red, holographic circle with a black helmet floats over my head.

"They did. Hades- that's Hades mark. You were claimed as Hades's child," Logan stutters. Other campers nearby gasp and talk among themselves. "And the prophecy continues."

Among everything that could have happened like laughing it off or freaking out, no godly power in the world could have stopped me from fainting.

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><p>I wake up, watching green fire flicker in its holster. I knew where I was. I had seen the cabin from the outside. It was Cabin 13; Hades. It hadn't been a terrible dream. I truly was the daughter of Hades… and possibly the hero in a prophecy about war. I realized I had tears in my eyes and I blink them out.<p>

"Melinda? Can I come in?" Logan says at the door. I reply with a yes and he walks in. "What are you thinking?' He sits down next to me.

"Hades? Seriously?" I exclaim.

"I would be pretty freaked out if I were you. How are you feeling?" Logan says, taking my hand and drawing random designs on my palm.

"Okay physically. But mentally…" I trail off. "Is what happened to Taylor my fault?"

"Who's Taylor?" Logan says frowning.

"She's a girl at my last school who collapsed after I punched her. Someone said she was in a coma," I whisper.

"Probably. Your powers were awakening. That's why the manticore attacked you the next day."

"How did you know about that? I never told a soul," I accuse him.

"You talked in your sleep a bit," he admits smiling. "Just a little bit. And what happened on the train." My face falls and he changes the subject. "We should go get you a weapon."

With the last word, a black glow fills the room. Right by my hand, a simple silver bracelet appears. I pick it up and examine it. Four charms hand off the edge. One was of a sword, another one a three headed dog who I recognize as Cerberus, the third a helmet of some sort and a palace as the fourth link.

On some hunch, I touch my finger to the sword and a sword appears. The sword was three feet long and a deadly black color. The metal was Stygian Iron. The hilt was inlaid with diamonds and opals. I swing it around, listening to the razor-sharp edge hiss through the air.

I smile at Logan and say," What are you thinking?"

"You should defiantly be on my team tonight," he says. I clip the silver bracelet on my wrist and follow him outside. Everyone was talking about me. Anyone who hadn't seen me arrive now knew about me. They huddle in groups while I pass whispering, "I was this close to death.", "I heard she killed someone at her school." and "The prophecy is probably about her. They should just get rid of her." I ignore every comment.

We walk into the dinner pavilion and Logan shows me to the Hades table. "You have to sit by parent. Sorry," he says before walking away. He goes to sit down at a smaller table by himself. I realize Phobos never had any other kids beside him. Dinner was served. There was pizza (homemade), fresh strawberries and buttery rolls. I sacrificed the cheesiest piece of pizza to Hades, praying silently that we would win Capture the Flag.

After dinner, Chiron gallops up to the stage. "Tonight for Capture the Flag, we have Hecate verses Ares!" he announces to cheers. On one side of the stage, a girl with blonde hair runs in, carrying a purple flag with a two torches runs in. A table explodes with cheering. On the other side of the stage, a burly boy runs in while sneering and carrying a red flag with spear on it. Not many people clap.

The allies were announced and both teams headed out to the woods. I walk along side Logan, listening to the Hecate's leader's plan. When she was finished, she breaks the crowd into smaller groups and gave them positions. I was set to a section of the border. The conch horn rings in the distance. I smack my bracelet and my sword appears.

Somewhere deep inside of me, I knew something was going to go terribly wrong.


	5. Dream

**Plese review if you read this. Thanks.**

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><p>So, dream when the day is through<br>Dream and they might come true  
>Things never are as bad as they seem<br>So dream, dream, dream

-Dream by Michael Buble

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><p><em>Somewhere deep inside of me, I knew something was going to go terribly wrong.<em>

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><p>The bushes nearby rustle and I turn to it, my sword raised. Glowing red eyes stare at me and I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up in fear. The eyes disappear and something stumbles through them.<p>

I start and Logan steps through. He smiles and sheathes his sword. "What's wrong?" he asks.

"N-nothing. What are you doing?" I ask, watching as he crosses over the creek.

"Julie's plan is always the same and she leaves holes in positions. She puts too many people to go get the flag and not enough on flag guard. They'll see the people miles away. But us, they'll be too late," Logan says. I shrug and cross over the creek, jumping on rocks. I slip on the last one and stumble forward…into Logan's arms. I feel myself blush and I pull away. We begin making our way through the trees, running right into a group.

Logan's sword catches the first with a blow to the head and disarms the second. I find myself surrounded by three people. I slice cuts into the arms and kick another in the armor. He goes down like a stone and I hear a faint snap.

"Only a broken rib," Logan reassures me as we continue. Soon enough, we reach a clearing with fighting in it. Red and blue team members fight each other. Swords clash against other swords and shields. The red flag stands on the other side of the field and two guards stand near it. Logan voices my thought, "There's no way to get through unnoticed."

"Can't we go around?" I ask.

"I've been on Ares's team. They would post Apollo archers around the flag in the trees above. We would have to go through invisible," he says, shaking his head.

"I can do that. I'll go through and meet you around," I say, pointing to the Helm of Darkness charm.

He seems uneasy about letting me go ahead. "Okay. Get the flag and get out of there. Meet me in a clearing about 100 meters west away from the flag." He turns around and runs through the trees out of sight. I take a deep breath and click the helm charm. When I look at my hand, it's gone along with my sword. I walk through the bushes, trying to stay as still as possible. A single archer sits in sight. She looks around and stops only for a second on my spot. Once near the clearing, I check the invisibility and walk in. I skip between the guards who are now fighting and grab the flag pole. I begin to panic while walking away when it doesn't disappear.

_The flag is magic-proof_, I think. I slam the flat blade of my sword against an Ares camper's helmet who realized the flag was moving. He collapses onto the ground, not moving. I reach the edge of the clearing while the other guard cries out in pain. I turn in around in shock, gasping when I see the notched arrow pointing at me. The other guard has an arrow in his arm.

"Turn off the invisibility," she orders and the girl lights the end of the arrow with blue fire. I hit the bracelet again and I appear in view.

"How did you see me?" I ask, casually rotating my sword so it points at her.

"Magic. Why don't you give the flag over?"

"No. If you're a daughter of Hecate, why would you fight your own cabin?" I ask.

She opens her mouth to speak, thinks otherwise and then closes it. Her eyes narrow and she releases the string. My eyes narrow and close, listening while it pings. Nothing hits me. Turning around, I see the arrow had hit a camper behind me in his armor. Behind the girl, an Ares guy sneaks up. I slice and jab, meeting the sword with a clang. I disarm him and kick him aside.

We stare at each other. Finally, I speak up, "Here's the flag. You deserve it."

"No, you do."

"Take it," I say firmly.

"Well, I can't hold it when I shoot," she smiles.

I grab my sword off the ground and run through the trees. Slightly breathless, we reach Logan. "Let's go," I say before we can open his mouth. News of the flag missing was immediate. Both teams were running to the creek to watch the flag cross. Running along, I stab backwards when a hand grabs my shoulder. The hand releases and I run on.

I splash through the creek which is ankle deep and watch as the flag changes to a red one with the Helm of Darkness printed on it. Once onto the other bank, I collapse. My head spins but I can feel something moving through the trees.

"Melinda?" Logan says, sounding terrified. "Let's go to the infirmary."

The bushes on the opposite me explode and out running at full speed is a beast like a giant, savage dog.

"A hellhound?" a camper asks before running off.

The hellhound bounds toward me, growls rolling through its throat. I stumble to get my sword out but it had disappeared into my bracelet. The hellhound jumps and lands on me. I'm knocked to the ground and I get the breath knocked out of me. A claw rips through my arm and I scream.

As I start to pass out, a figure appears in the left side of my vision. She raises her bow and shoots.

* * *

><p>I open my eyes to a new location. I knew it wasn't Camp Half-Blood; it was too dark and gloomy. I was in the middle of a beautiful garden. On plants around, jewels laid next to beautiful flowers. A sweet aroma fills the air. I turn and look at delicious-looking pomegranates growing on a tree.<p>

"I wouldn't eat those if I were you," I hear behind me. I look to my left side. She's a ghostly figure, wearing a silver parka and has a bow strung over her back. She leans against a nearby tree and says, "I bet you know the legend of Persephone and the pomegranates."

"Who are you?" I ask, folding my arms.

"Bianca. I was a daughter of Hades over 50 years ago."

"Like me."

"Like you. I know you're regretting being Hades's child but you will find peace. I'll be watching you and I'll find guide you when I can. I have to show you something you that might be helpful for your quest."

"Wait. What quest?"

She smiles and before she can answer, the scene dissolves into another. This one is underwater. An old man sits on a throne made out of coral.

"Sir. We have for Amphitrite out in the Pacific. She's not there," a man with two tails says.

"Thank you, Triton. Continue the search," the man says as Triton swims away. The man disappears and appears in a golden room wearing a green kiton. "Hello brother."

A man walks in the room, wearing a black kiton. "Poseidon. Aren't you in a happy mood?"

"You kidnapped my wife and stole my trident!" Poseidon yells.

"Why the accusation? A god can not steal another god's item of power," the man says with a glint in his eyes. I start when I recognize who he is. The glint was exactly like the one I sometimes I had in my eyes. Only he had darker eyes then mine. He had black hair not red like mine. He was Hades, my father.

"You kidnapped my wife and had your stupid daughter of a demigod steal my trident!" he shouts. I open my mouth to yell but Hades cuts me off.

"The last meeting was months ago. How did she steal it? Hold her breath underwater for hours on end and survive tons of pressure?"

I smile while Poseidon frowns deeply thinking.

"Return Amphitrite and the trident by the summer solstice or I'll kill your daughter," Poseidon says and with that, he disappears.

Hades rubs his forehead. "You see Melinda. You have to find them. I can't let another one of you die."

I start when I realize he can see me. "Did Poseidon see me?"

"No. I allowed your dream spirit to pass through to see reality. Only I could see you."

"Did you take them?"

"No. I swear on the River Styx," Hades says.

I watch him. "Okay. I believe you. So, I have to find Amphitrite and the trident by the summer solstice in ten days."

He smiles slightly and nods. "My time is up. You'll see me soon." And with that, the scene goes black.

* * *

><p>I wake up, sitting up so fast my head spins. "Great. You're up."<p>

"I need to Chiron."

After having some nectar and ambrosia, Logan lets me walk out of the infirmary. I walk out onto the porch and to the table where Chiron and Deimos are talking.

"Good to see you. How are you feeling?" Chiron asks.

"Good. I need a quest," I say.

"What a rude child," Deimos adds.

"For what child? A quest has not been given for a quite a time," Chiron says.

I tell them everything from the manticore to the last part of the dream. I leave out the part about Bianca. They didn't need to know about that part.

"The trident and Amphitrite are missing? No wonder the seas are so ragged lately," Logan exclaims. I nod.

"You should go see Alyssa for a prophecy. Logan, go with her," Chiron says. I follow Logan off the porch. The sun is down and the moon is ahead.

"Who's Alyssa?" I ask.

"The Oracle. She got the job after Rachel got too old to stay here," Logan says. We walk into the shiny Apollo cabin. Inside a girl sits cross-legged on a bunk. She touches the keyboard in front of her, whispering along with the iPod playing.

"Hello, Logan. Hello, Melinda," she says without opening her eyes.

"Hello Alyssa. Can you give Melinda a prophecy?" he asks, sitting beside her. She opens her eyes which are a startling green. She opens her mouth and sounding like three of her says:

"To find the item and wife so dear,

You must leave friends near.

Fear and death and the witch,

Must discover the evil switch.

Make enemies to friends,

And find the lie to the ends.

Stop a war,

And even the score.

Travel to the monsters in a sea,

Get lost and bad everything will be."

She collapses and Logan catches her and sets her gently down next to himself. She opens her eyes, yawning.

"I think she should go to sleep," Logan says, closing the door behind me. We run back to the porch and tell Chiron the prophecy.

"Fear and death and the witch. Death is Hades and Phobos is fear. Will you join, Logan?" I ask.

"Sure," he says smiling. "What about the witch?"

'Isn't it obvious? The witch is Hecate," Deimos says, flipping a card between his fingers.

"Okay. Let's go pick a member from Hecate and leave tomorrow," I say, standing up from my chair. Logan follows me to the cabin area. I frown, scanning them.

"Which one is Hecate?" I ask.

"I don't really know," Logan admits. We look through the last people wandering back to their cabins. I spot the blonde girl from Capture the Flag.

"Hey, Julie. Do you know cabin is Hecate?" Logan asks.

She turns towards us and I see her eyes narrow. Her body language says annoyed clearly. She folds her arms and leans against a cabin. "I'm the head of Hecate. If you're looking for someone to prank, Logan, Hecate magic will get you back."

"We need someone for a quest," I interrupt.

"A quest? What's it about?" she asks.

"Amphitrite and the trident have gone missing," I say.

"Hmm. And you need a Hecate person, why?" she asks.

"Julie…" Logan mumbles.

"It said a witch was needed," I say.

Julie's eyes narrow at the witch word. "Good reason. I'll join your cause," she says, smiling.

"Wait what?"

"Yes. Most Hecate campers don't know enough spells to get through a quest. I know enough."

"I doubt that."

"I saw you when you were invisible," she says, turning on her heal and walking away.

"Wait! Are you not coming?" I shout at her turned back.

"I'll see you in the morning. Night," she says, disappearing into the boulder cabin. I shake my head mystified.

"Julie's like that sometimes," Logan says. "I'm going to pack. Good night, Melinda."

He walks off and disappears. I turn and walk to the Hades cabin. The green fire flickers in its holster. My suitcase lies near one of the beds. I open it and pull out my Greek mythology book. Taped inside the inside cover was my mother's letter. Tears drip down my cheeks at the note.

In one day, my whole life had changed. In seven hours I had learned my father was Hades and my mother, well I would never know maybe. I was a demigod and I was going to go on a quest on my first day at Camp Half-Blood. I sigh and change into pajamas. I fall asleep, the letter still clutched in my hand.

* * *

><p>The next morning, I pick at breakfast and watch Logan get up and walk away. I get up too and follow him out the cabin area.<p>

"You ready to go?" Logan asks.

"I guess. I'm just nervous," I say as my stomach groans.

"I am too," he says, squeezing my hand. My heart flutters slightly and I go grab my bag. I had packed seven pairs of shorts and eight shirts. There was a flashlight, sunscreen and my Greek mythology book. When I come back, Julie walks up.

"Ready?" I ask as we walk up the hill. At the bottom of the hill, the many-eyed Argus sits in a truck. We pile into the truck and Argus drives us to the city. Our quest had begun.


	6. SOS

**Chapter 6**

* * *

><p>S.O.S<br>Is all I need to send  
>Just a little text<br>I'm calling all the girls  
>F.Y.I, you know it's not the end<br>Don't take it lying down,  
>No crying now, it's your world<p>

-S.O.S. by Jordin Sparks

* * *

><p>We get into the city at about nine o'clock. Argus drops us off near a cafe in town and drives away. Inside the cafe, Julie orders us some coffee and we huddle into a booth in the back, talking.<p>

"Where do we start?" Julie asks, looking around. A single spark appears out of her finger and sets on her coffee stirrer. The straw begins stirring her coffee.

"It said 'travel to the monsters in a sea.' Where would that be?" I ask, looking at Logan.

"The Sea of Monsters. Perfect," Logan says. "The Sea of Monsters is also known as the Bermuda Triangle."

"But that's in Florida. How are we ever going to get there?"

"I might have something for that. But..." Julie pipes up. I look at her and she's staring at the wall.

"But?"

"I've never made, tried or used one before. It could go terribly wrong," Julie whispers.

I burn my tongue on the coffee. I sputter, "How bad?"

"If we're lucky, we end up in the Sahara Desert or some other place. And if we're not, let's just says you'll have no legs and one eye. It's called the Teleporter of Hecate."

"It will pull us apart?" Logan exclaims.

"Shhh! Someone will hear us. But yeah. Okay if you don't want to, we can just fly."

Flying brings a tiny uneasy feeling to my stomach. I guess that was because Zeus was the god of the sky and they were sort of enemies. "Let's try your idea first," I say. We set a tip down on the table and walk out, grabbing our bags as we go. Julie stops at an abandoned house and looks at it. The plum paint was peeling and flowers and vines overgrew the yard and house. The railing on the porch was rusting.

"Here's a good place," Julie says, looking around before walking up the path.

"Here?" Logan asks, nudging open the rusting iron gate.

"Yes. The teleporter needs to be activated at noon or midnight. No one lives here and what's the harm. We have a while and we can't be spotted anyways," Julie says. I shrug and follow her inside.

The door creaks open and we peer inside. I take a caution step inside and brush a spider web off the doorway. Dust is layered two inches thick so soon enough our footsteps lead into the living room. Julie conjures up some blue fire and sets it in the fireplace. We sit down on the floor and rest. Logan's watch reads 11:45 in a few hours.

"Ready?" I ask Julie standing up and stretching. I nudge Logan awake with my foot and he yawns. He stands up while I pour water onto the fire and stand next to her. "Let's see it." She nods and takes the teleporter out. It's a crystal blue cube, the color of Julie's eyes. "What's needed?" I ask as she sets it on the floor.

"A destination. Preferably an address," Julie says, drawing a symbol on the cube. It glows white before attaching itself on a side.

I nod, thinking. "27943 Maple Boulevard. Lilac Hills, Florida."

"Do you live there?" Logan asks.

"No."

She adds more symbols and mumbles a few words under her breath. "Okay. We have to go one at a time. Melinda, you first. But quickly."

I grab my suitcase and walk over to the cube. It looks so small yet it could kill me. I take a deep breath and watch the clock hit noon. My finger touches it and I lose sight of Logan and Julie.

I fall down on the floor, recognizing the brick walls. I move out of the way, waiting for another person to fall into the room.

"Ow!" I hear above me. I start and dash up the rotting wooden stairs. Logan lies on the floor on his back. "Ouch. That hurt."

"Are you okay?" I ask, bending down next to him. He rubs his head.

"Fine. Just fell hard." He looks around. "Where's Julie?"

"Hasn't made it yet." I help him up and we walk downstairs. Julie sits on the couch, petting one of the stray cats who live here.

"So, if you don't live here how do you know about this place?" Logan asks, sitting next to Julie.

"It's close to where I live," I say, giving him a sharp stare that signals the end of the conversation.

"Did you say Lilac Hills? That's near Palm Coast, right?" Julie asks.

"Yeah. There's a marine with boats in St. Augustine. I say we get a bus there and 'borrow' a boat

"That works for me," Logan says. And on that note, we walk out and down the road to the bus station. At the bus station, we have a slight trouble reading the sign but get a single bus ride to St. Augustine. I stare out the window while the scenery rolls by.

"Why didn't we go see your mom?" Logan asks.

"She wouldn't want to see me," I say, laying my head down on the windowsill.

"There's something you're not telling me about," Logan decides.

"I don't want to talk about it," I say, turning my back to him. My eyes close and I fall asleep.

* * *

><p>I wake up back in the abandoned house in Lilac Hills. Instead the building was restored. The walls were painted a deep red while the furniture was a pure ivory color. Black roses sat in a polished silver vase on a glass table.<p>

"Nice to see you again," Bianca says. Instead of being the ghostly figure, she was normal. She had black hair and olive skin. She's sitting down on the white couch, tracing the black designs on it.

"Why did you pick here?" I ask, looking around.

"I lived here once," she replies. "When I was about nine. I knew Hades was my father then."

"Did your mother know?" I ask.

"Yes. But yours never knew until it was too late."

"How late?"

"You were born. She knew that day."

"And she left me."

"Your mother believed a daughter of Hades would be trouble. And she was right. Remember the man on the playground or the dog that destroyed the house? Monsters. I had the same problems. I brought you here for a reason. I want you to do something for me."

"Anything. Does it have something to do with this house?" I ask, looking around.

"Yes. Before I left, I hid a journal in the house. Come here again and find it for me. You see, after my mother was killed Hades erased my memories. The journal will bring it back. The power of the journal, the power of me attracted you to this house in the first place."

"Okay. But it will have to be after the quest."

"Take your time. Also, beware a relative of Hecate. She's her-"

* * *

><p>I'm shaken awake. I rub my eyes, stretching. Then I freeze.<p>

"What's wrong?" Julie asks. "We've arrived."

I nod and get up. The bus passengers were filing out in a large, crazy mob. But inside of me I remember Bianca's warning. 'Beware a relative of Hecate. She's her-'. I was positive the next word was daughter.

Could we even trust Julie? We didn't know anything about her. An evil switch. Why would she join the unknown enemy and steal the trident and kidnap Amphitrite?

"Come on," Julie says, exiting the bus. I grab my bag and follow her off. The sign outside the bus reads St. Augustine, Population 60,268. I could see a bit of the ocean in the distance. A cool sea breeze blew off the water and the slightest smell of salt filled my nose. The walk was only about three miles long and it felt good after sitting for over an hour. The marine was packed with boats of all sizes from small fishing boats to expensive sailboats.

"That one," Logan says, pointing to the largest sailboat. I raise my eyebrows at the boat.

"Of all of them, you had to pick the most expensive one," I laugh.

"Sure. Why not?"

"The Dixie?" I giggle at the name of the boat. Laughing silently, we dash onto the boat. "Okay. Logan, check the lower decks. Anyone on board get them off." He disappears through the door. "Julie, can you put some charms around the boat?"

"Sure. Invisibility, storm protection and mortal proof," she mutters to herself. She raises her arms and whispering strange words in different language creates a purple sphere around the boat. Logan trudges back up the stairs.

"No one on board," he says. "Do you even know how to drive a boat?"

"Yes," Julie and I answer at the same time. I blush, avoiding his gaze. "I learned a bit of boating a long time ago."

"How long ago?" Julie says with a suspicious look on her face.

"Last summer," I say.

"Okay. Do you want to drive?" Logan asks.

"No thank you. Poseidon's after me. If someone sinks the boat, I won't be blamed because I'm the driver. Julie, you can drive." Julie takes the controls and guides us out of the marine.

"Hey! That's my boat!" a twenty year old guy yells as we pass him.

"What about that mortal repelling charm?" I ask Julie, my eyebrows furling.

"I realized I didn't have enough magical strength to make one but there's little to zero chance a mortal will be out in the Sea of Monsters. We'll be fine," Julie says, navigating the boat into the Atlantic Ocean. I lean against the railing, watching the marine fade into a small dot on the horizon.

"What's the chance Poseidon sends a hurricane to sink our ship?" Logan says, coming up next to me.

"Highly if he had his trident. Perhaps not as bad," I note. I frown, watching as the horizon changes. Instead of being clear as far as the eye could see, a cloud of mist was heading for us. "Hey, Julie. We got fog."

She nods and drives us into it anyways. "This should clear up when we reach the entrance. It would be bad to go against two monsters and a setting that prohibited our sight," Logan says.

"What are the monsters again?" I ask.

"There's Charybdis who sucks up the sea and then spits it out. And there's Scylla who sits on a cliff and uses her long necks to pick up sailors off boats."

"I'm thinking we should go to Scylla. With all of our strengths, we should be able to handle her," I say, rubbing my silver bracelet in nervousness. He nods and I sit down on the deck. My eyes close but I don't fall asleep. It's only to let me think for a while. Was Julie a traitor? Sure, there was a lot of Hecate relatives but only one that was in the quest so far. She had been rather eager to join the quest.

"Melinda. Get up," Julie orders, pushing me.

"Ow. What's up?" I ask, pretending to yawn.

"We've reached the entrance of the Sea of Monsters. Time to face Scylla."


	7. Monster

**Chapter 7: Monster**

**Sorry about the long wait. What was it like two weeks? Anyways, I went to a camp, then had my birthday and finally finished the chapter. Thanks for waiting.**

**As much as I wish it was, Percy Jackson belongs to Rick Riordan, not me.**

* * *

><p>I'll stop the whole world<br>I'll stop the whole world  
>from turning into a monster, and eating us alive<br>Don't you ever wonder how we'd survive?  
>But now that you're gone the world is ours<p>

-Monster by Paramore

* * *

><p>The cliffs on one side of us with the whirlpool on the other, our boat passes into the entrance. I knew on top of the cliffs, Scylla sat, waiting to catch unwary sailors with her many long necks. In the middle of the whirlpool, Charybdis sits. We were heading for the area near Scylla's cliffs, ready to fight off for our lives. I draw my Stygian Iron sword out of my bracelet. Logan pulls out his Celestial Bronze sword and Julie has her first arrow notched in her bow.<p>

The whirlpool creates a sucking sound and the ocean begins spinning into Charybdis's mouth. Scylla flashes down next to us and grabs one of our packs. "We should get those on," I decide, pulling one onto my shoulders while watching the sky. "Where is she?"

On cue, Scylla strikes like lightning, crashing into the deck where Julie was standing. Jumping out of the way and firing, she lands a lucky arrow on her eye. Scylla screeches in pain and the sound echoes across the whirlpool. Besides us, the whirlpool releases and waves splash against the side of the boat.

"Watch out!" I shout, pushing Logan out of the way. The scaly face breaks into the deck. "Where is she?"

"There!" Julie shouts. I turn to look to where she's pointing. Suddenly, there isn't ground beneath my feet. Only air. Hundreds of feet below me, Logan and Julie yell. I realize Scylla had gotten a lucky grab at me and I swing my sword backwards. Another head knocks it away before I can hit the head on my backpack. The black sword falls and drops into the ocean. There was only one choice left and I had only used it once. A knot in my stomach twists and black smoke flows from my hands.

A single touch to Scylla and she starts screaming. She drops me and I fall from her teeth to the ocean. Straightening up as fast as possible, I hit the ocean, headfirst. I plunge down, trying to keep from fainting. My eyes sting with the salt of the ocean but I manage to turn right side up and swim to the surface.

"Melinda! Don't worry. We'll get-"Logan says before being cut off by me plunging back into the water. Something had pulled me under. A normal hand had grabbed my ankle and pulled me downwards.

"You think you can trespass into my reign and get away with it," the man snarls. I recognize his face from an earlier dream.

_Poseidon_, I think.

"You got that right. Give back the trident."

_I'm drowning and all you care about is your trident. You can check my bag once I die._

"Sarcasm will only kill you."

_Then I'm dead_, I say. My head grows heavy and all I can think of is reaching the surface. _Let me live and I'll give it back._

An arrow pierces the water and flies into Poseidon's hand. He snarls and glares at the surface before staring at me. Gold ichor spreads through the water. _This isn't over yet. _He turns into water and disappears.

I shake my head slightly and swim upwards to the surface. I gasp, filling my lungs with fresh air that was restricted only seconds before. The cliffs had moved into the distance and small waves covered the surface of the water.

"Melinda! Over here," Logan says, throwing a ladder of the side of the boat. It lands five feet away with a splash. I swim to it and grab onto one of the rungs before pulling myself up. I collapse onto my knees, water dripping down the side of my face. "Here." Logan drapes a blanket over my frame. "What happened?"

"Poseidon. He pulled me under and demanded I give the trident back," I say. "Julie?"

"Yeah?" she says, looking over the damage of the boat. The mast had collapsed and now lay in a wreck with the sail. There were several holes in the deck.

"You know you shot Poseidon, right?"

She smiles. "Yep. Demigods have faced the wrath of gods since the old time heroes. Look at Hercules. Hera must have tried killing him a dozen times but she failed. How hard can it be?" she smiles.

If sensing her words, a giant wave covers the boat. Her blonde hair covers her face but it still shines. "We need to keep moving. _Διορθώνω._" In my mind, I translate the word. _Fix_. A simple spell because within seconds, the mast is in place and several holes begin cleaning up. "And _στεγνώνω_." My clothes feel warmer and I realize the word was _dry_.

"What bags survived?" I ask, pulling the one off of my back. I open it and a leather book lands on the deck. A small bag of ambrosia falls on top of it. I pick it up and try to decipher the words on the front. _Spells of Hecate_.

"Only small items did. No bags, clothes or food and water. We'll have to find something to eat in a bit," Logan says, rummaging through one of the other bags. "Yes! They survived." He pulls out of the bag, a number of small spheres, the size of marbles. He pockets them and smiles at me.

I get up from my spot on the deck and walk over to a book lying near the edge. I bend down to pick it up and wipe off some water. It was my Greek Mythology book. I open the cover and run my hand over my mother's note. The ink had run but very slightly. I could still make out the handwriting. I close the book and look at _Spells of Hecate_. This one was defiantly Julie's.

"Is that mine?" Julie asks, coming up next to mine.

I clear my throat. "Yeah. Here." She takes it from me, a slightly furious look on her face and walks over to the wheel. She squints into the distance and I stand up. "Look! There's land."

The island had a collection of boats on one side and a small mountain growing behind them. One the other side of the island, palm trees dotted a white sand beach. There was a starling collection of white buildings. Julie smiles and steers the boat in that direction.

"Welcome!" says the lady with the clipboard when we pull up. I bite my lip. What were we being welcomed to?


	8. Beautiful

**Sorry for the long four (maybe five) week wait. I'll begin posting more up faster. All Percy Jackson references do not, sadly, belong to me but Rick Riordan. This part of the story is Circe's Island which is Chapter 12 in the ****Sea of Monsters.**

I am beautiful no matter what they say  
>Words can't bring me down<br>I am beautiful in every single way  
>Yes, words can't bring me down, oh no<br>So don't you bring me down today

-Beautiful by Christina Aguilera

The lady was dressed like a flight attendant with a blue outfit, ironed to perfection. I back uneasily away from her, startled by her hospitality. Julie shoves me in the back with her elbow and I follow her off the boat and onto the metal dock. The dock was lined with an assortment of boats: old boats from the pirate age, yachts and a submarine. She shakes my hand with an iron-clad grip.

"Is this your first time with us?" she says. I exchange a look with Logan.

"I guess," I say.

"First- time- at- spa," she says, writing a scribble of words onto her clipboard. "Let's see." She looks Julie over and with a satisfied nod, turns to me. "Perhaps a exfoliation for the redhead and maybe a tan too-"

"There is nothing wrong with my skin," I interrupt her, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Of course there is. You just need to get past the scabby, dried-out parts. Accepting yourself is the first step in beauty. And a full makeover for the gentleman," she says, smiling. Words are written down again on her clipboard. I stifle a laugh when Logan starts.

"A makeover?" he chokes. "I'm perfectly fine the way I am. Right?" He looks at me.

"Yes," I say at the same exact time Julie says, "No." I look over at her and she turns to me. Her left hand drifts to the bow strapped onto her back.

"All right! I'm sure C.C. will want to speak with you personally before the luau," she says.

"No, I don't think so. Julie, let's go," I say.

"No," she says.

"No?"

"Let's stay for a little bit. Just until the luau. We haven't had any food all day," she says.

"We just commandeered a first class sailboat to go find a missing goddess of Poseidon and a trident and all you're wanting is food! There's some on board."

"All of it got wiped out by Scylla. And if I didn't save your sorry butt from drowning, I wouldn't have to deal with you right now! We're staying!"

My mouth falls open agape. True, she had saved me but that didn't mean she had to flaunt it around like the winning lottery ticket for a million bucks. She throws her blonde hair over her shoulder and saunters after the attendant lady. I exchange a quick look with Logan and follow her with a sigh.

She gives us a quick tour of the island. The buildings were made out of white marble with large glass windows. Pools covered every terrace and slides, tubes and waterfalls connected them together. Tame animals lounge out on seats. There were antique, gorgeous fountains with water spraying shapes into the air. There were eagles and horses made out of water. As I pass one, a weird shape emerges. It was a giant many-headed animal. I blink afterwards and the shape disappears. Weird. The only guests that we pass are young women, each one with hair that looks as smooth as silk and tan skin. They were being pampered on hand and foot by ladies in white uniforms who looked just as beautiful as the ones who were in the chairs.

We walk up a main staircase when I hear the singing. We walk up a main staircase when I hear the music. It's an old singing that is almost Ancient Greek but almost Minoan or Mycenaean. I try to sort out the words but they're too fast like a quickstep instead of a waltz. We walk into the room where one wall is covered in mirrors and another in windows. There's white furniture placed around the room and an out-of-the-place pet cage. A large loom takes up a side of the room with a lady weaving colored thread.

The lady on the loom had long black hair with golden thread woven into it. She's wearing a black dress that has shapes dancing across the fabric. On the loom, a scenery was growing. It was a desert with a golden pink sunset and lavender mountains in the background. Darkness clawed at the edges, a series of shades of black, silver, deep blue and plum.

"Wow," I whisper and the lady stops singing.

"Do you like it?" she asks, her fingers still dancing across the thread.

"Yes. It's- it's beautiful," I say.

"You have very good taste. I'm so glad you came to visit. My name is C.C," she says. A series of shrieks sound from the cage. I suppose they were hamsters or something.

Julie introduces herself with a big smile and elbows me in the side. I stutter over my name while Logan just murmurs his. She looks over each of us with a series of looks.

"Hylla, why don't you go show Julie and Melinda around? Start Melinda on a skin rejuvenation and I'll help Logan on exposing his true self," C.C. says. Hylla ushers us out of the room and down the hallway. The hallway was lined with dark wooden panels and plush red carpet underneath my semi-soaked tennis shoes. On the walls, gold-framed pictures hung each depicting a different scene. Hylla opens a door off to the side and I gasp.

The room was a library with wooden bookshelves with a variety of books pushed into every slot available. I wonder through one of the aisles and step onto a ladder. I reach up and grab a leather-bound book off the shelf. The book was written in an illegible handwriting so, I put it back. In the center of the room, Julie was buried in a book on a pedestal. I come up behind her and peer over her shoulder. The transcript was familiar but slightly different.

"Κίρκη είναι η θεά της μαγείας. Η δύναμη να χειραγωγήσουν μαγεία έχει περάσει από γενιά. Magic δίνεται στο μερίδες, ανάλογα με το ποιος νομίζει είναι άξιος.," Julie says. Her eyes flash over the words again. "_Circe is the goddess of magic. The power to manipulate magic is passed down from generation. Magic is given out in portions, depending on who she thinks is worthy. _That's different."

"What's different?" I ask. Julie starts and shrugs.

"Ladies, let's go down to the spa," Hylla says, shutting the book shut. Her grey eyes are slits looking at me. She ushers us out of the room and down a circular staircase that comes out in a garden completed with a solid gold fountain stationed in the middle. The next building has an open door and my heart drops. Hylla pushes me into a seat and ladies in white robes begin working on me. One begins rubbing fruity shampoo into my hair, carefully digging her inch-long nails into my scalp. Another polishes my toenails up while yet another trims my nails. After the shampoo is washed out with ice-cold water, the same lady presses a blow dryer to my wet hair. Within a few minutes, I'm pushed into a changing room with only a grey dress.

I pull on the dress and look at my reflection. They had straightened my red hair out of its normal wave and braided silver into it. This normally wouldn't have been my first choice on an outfit tonight but it was the only clothes that I had that were wearable and not soaked with salt water. I open the door and spot Julie standing next to a large window.

Julie had her blonde hair slightly curled and gold strands braided into it instead of silver. She was wearing a white dress and had several gold bangles around her wrist.

"You look good," I say to her.

"You too," she says, nodding. For the first time here, I don't feel like Julie was under a spell.

"Ladies, C.C. would like to see you again," Hylla says. This time, we come back through a series of paths instead of the library route. I push open the door and stop when Logan isn't there.

"Welcome back, ladies. How did you like the tour?" C.C. says.

"Your island is amazing," Julie says and a dreamy look appears back on her face.

"Where's Logan?" I ask.

"He's getting one of our treatments, dear. I guarantee he will be done in time for the luau. Stop worrying about boys and you can become much greater," C.C. says, waving his name away.

"Greater?" I ask.

"Like Julie. She has ignored the presence of boys and grown to become a powerful sorceress like me."

"How are you like Julie?"

She laughs and conjures up a ball of fire that dances across her hand. "I am Circe. We are both daughters of Hecate. I automatically recognized her presence when she arrived. But you are a daughter of Hades, I hear. We are not that different from each other. I heard from the grapevine that you destroyed or weakened two monsters with only a single touch. That is mighty magic but you can learn more."

"L-learn more?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"They say you have passed out or are strongly weakened. Within time, you could destroy monsters without draining any energy," Circe laughs. "You two, stay with me and I will teach you the tricks of the trade. I haven't had new visitors in a while."

Julie pops up next to her elbow. "We will stay."

"Julie, let's think about this. We have to find the trident-" Circe's eyes flash at this word but I barely recognize the fact. "And Amphitrite."

"Just stay the night then," Circe says. "You can rest and then leave." Her voice has a little strain to it. Julie looks at me with a puppy-dog face.

"Okay. But only for the night," I say. Circe smiles and shows us to the luau set up on the white sand beach. In the middle of the party, a shallow pit was dug. Cooked pig and vegetables wafted out. I wander through the equally pretty girls with their faces dusted with foundation and glitter. Who are they trying to impress? There were no boys here anyways except for Logan yet I hadn't even seen him yet.

"Julie! Have you seen Logan?" I ask. She waves me away and turns back to one of the girls she's sitting with. I roll my eyes and get swallowed by the crowd. My feet are hurting from the shoes I've been forced into and my eyes are tired from the over-all strain of today. I wander away from the crowd and go to the room Circe had given us for the night. The room was a light blue with a window that opened to a view of an ocean. Without bothering changing, I flop down on one of the beds and close my eyes.

I open them to an oceanic view. Literally, the room seemed to be in the middle of the ocean. Glowing pearls lit the room which was made of a growing coral. Outside of the room, it was pitch black. If I had been there in person, I would have drowned or crushed by the pressure. I'm pretty sure Poseidon would have wanted that as he was here. He was here, talking to a figure near the window.

"Father, you didn't have to almost drown her," the figure says. It was a girl's voice.

"She stole my trident and Amphitrite," Poseidon says, rubbing his ankle. "And her friend shot me."

"You aren't Achilles; you are a god. It was perfectly fine when you came back," she says.

"It still hurt," the god says. I can imagine the girl rolling her eyes.

"She will get them back for you. You had enough trust in Percy before me," she says. The god smiles and disappears. "You see Melinda; you have to have trust in him too. He will not inhibit your journey any further but you are stopped momentarily now. At the home of a witch."

My eyes flash open and I'm back at Circe's island. _The home of a witch_. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand up. Logan wasn't back yet. Where could he have gone? The name Circe sounded familiar. Then it hits me. I dig in my backpack for my Greek Mythology book and pull it out. I open the book and read one paragraph.

Circe was Hecate's daughter. She was commonly known for changing men into pigs. I walk to the door and pull it open slightly. Down on the beach, I could see Circe with one of the white robe ladies. I press my finger against the picture of a helm on my bracelet. When I raise my hand, it's invisible. I walk down to the beach and strain my ears to hear what they are saying.

"How much longer do you think they will stay?" the other woman says.

"My spell is working as strongly on Melinda. I only barely could get her to stay for night; staying forever could take a stronger spell. Get Hylla to bring her to my room after breakfast and I'll consult the Book of Spells."

"What happens if they leave before then?"

"Move their boat to the back of the island."

"And if they ask about the boy again?"

"He's taking care of. Kindergarteners always love guinea pigs," Circe says with an evil smile on her face.


	9. Magic

**School started up about three weeks ago and I'm getting inundated with homework. I hope I can get each new chapter up by Friday at the least. I have three free study periods a week and a ten minute writing period in Language Arts; however, I still have to copy my writing from paper to my iPod or computer.**

**Percy Jackson belongs to Rick Riordan not me which leaves me melancholy. This chapter continues off from Chapter 8 at Circe's Island.**

I got the magic in me

Every time I touch that track

It turns into gold

Everybody knows

-Magic by B.O.B.

My mind rushes and I step backwards in panic. My left foot hits the board with a loud _thump_ and the two ladies talking look in my direction. I bite down on my lip, cursing myself silently.

"Hylla. Check on our guests. Make sure none have slipped away," Circe says, looking straight at me. I was almost positive that she could see me when Hylla brushes past me, only a foot away. Circe waves a hand in the air and a thick, leather-bound book falls into it. Though it was a hundred meters away, I could swear it was the one in the library that sat on the pedestal in the middle. I turn on my heel with no time to race and run back to the room. Once inside, I shut the door and slide underneath covers. I tousle my hair slightly and press the helm charm on my bracelet.

Barely seconds later, Hylla opens the door and peers in. Her shadow dances across the opposite wall and lingers for a few seconds. I turn over onto my stomach and sigh slightly. How was I supposed to save Logan, Amphitrite and myself, if I didn't have any help? I didn't have wickedly awesome demigods powers, only some black smoke that killed off monsters and knocked me out for a while.

"You do have your mind, though," a voice says next to me.

"Bianca?" I say, throwing a hand over my mouth. "How are you here?"

"I'm slightly visiting you here in somewhat person. There's a charm around the island preventing unwanted dreams and communication to come through. Your mind is the most important tool you have here. You need to know your enemy's weakness and your strengths. Planning is the first step in a battle. Many great generals researched the other side's loses to understand how to win."

"You got that from Social Studies class, didn't you?" I whisper.

She smiles. "You know it. What are some of Circe's weaknesses?"

I think for a while. "She can't use her hypnosis on me."

"Good. She only got Julie because they are similar in structure. They're both daughters of Circe; therefore, they are almost sisters. The closer you are alike to someone, the easier magic flows between the two. Any others?"

Again, I think for a bit. "She relies on her maids sometimes."

"Another technique. In chess, you send pawns in before you use the queen to attack. They are her pawns which are easily manipulated."

"She relies on the book of spells sometimes."

"If you take away the book," Bianca starts.

"You take away her power source," I state. A plan was forming in my head. Wheels were turning and I could almost see our ship sailing out of here.

"Good," Bianca says, smiling. Her image flickers and I reach a hand out to grab her, but it passes through her wrist. "The Underworld is calling me back. It's too dangerous to stay any longer." She flickers again. "Father hopes you can come down and see him. He could help you with some of your skills. Just one thing, beware of Persephone and Demeter down under. They don't usually like children of Hades. Like one time, Nico said-" Her image disappears.

The sun begins to rise and shines through the window. There's a knock on the door.

"Get up, ladies. Circe has planned a breakfast for you," Hylla says, opening the door. I sit up and rub my eyes. She still sends me an uneasy look and I give her a smile back. I smooth out my grey dress. I run a brush swiftly through my hair and follow Hylla down to the dining room. The dining room had a wooden floor and unusually friendly sunshine yellow walls. They were a façade to the true meaning of Circe's operation. I take a seat next to Julie before Hylla stops me.

"No, Melinda. C.C. would like to talk with you," she says, shaking her head. She escorts me to Circe's room. My eyes linger on the door at the end of the hallway. To win this battle, I had to ahev the book. She closes the door behind me. The room was sparkling white and glowed with sunlight through the open windows.

I consider sitting down when squealing alerts to the cage in a corner. I walk over to it and peer downwards. A handful of guinea pigs are in the cage, some of the dirty from being stuck in there for quite a while. Only one of them was new looking. My eyes flicker to the door and then I open the cage.

At once, all of the guinea pigs begin squealing and fighting over the spot my hand is at. I stop fighting them and pick up the new one.

"Logan?" I ask, feeling completely foolish talking to a guinea pig. The small animal begins to squeal. "I'll take that as a yes." The door opens on the other side of the room.

"Melinda?" Circe says behind me. I hold my hands behind my back, trying to hold the new recollection inside of me.

"Yes?" I say, turning around.

"How do you like the island?" she asks, walking to the glass coffee table and pouring herself a glass of water.

"It's very nice," I say. I edge sideways, my hands clasped behind me. Sharp claws dig into my hands. I felt like Logan right now: trapped, scared.

"Then why don't you stay?" she asks.

"I know what you are."

"I should have figured. Only the smart ones figure it out. The last real demigod who got trapped here, though he was a boy, his friend figured it faster than you did," Circe says, setting the glass of water on the table. She crosses her arms and small sparks dance across her fingertips. "You're fine here to stay."

"Logan isn't all right. You transformed him into a rodent."

"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? Well, I'm not. I remember when my niece, Medea told me her husband had run off with some other young maiden."

"Then she killed the young maiden and Jason and her kids."

"They reminded her of the stupid hero that betrayed her."

During this conversation, I edge my way closer to the door. "Why don't you change Logan back?" I ask.

"Ha! And you're one to bargain," she says, waving her hand. An image appears and changes into a girl with blonde hair.

"Julie," I sigh.

"Yes. I have Julie so confused she could kill both of you and never know what happened. And she's on her way here, right now. If she walks through the door and you haven't given up, I'll make her kill you both. And would you fight against your friend?"

My mouth falls open before I close it with a grimace. I press my finger against the sword charm. "I would if I had to." My dark sword appears in my hand.

"She's just down the hall," Circe says, smirking. The door slams open.

Julie enters, smiling. Lightening fast, she elbows Hylla in the stomach and brings her dagger to the woman's throat. "You shouldn't be putting your half-sister under spells," she snaps, her eyes narrowed in determination.

Circe's mouth had fallen open in shock. I can feel myself smiling. She drags Hylla over to Circe. "You didn't think that I had my own mind. That I would just follow you because you were powerful and not figure it out on my own. I can think, and I don't take over people's mind. You may be a daughter of Hecate like me, but you are not my sister."

Circe's eyes narrow and hands clench into fists. "Do you think I tried to take over you? It was all a game, just to hide the true matter of my business," she snaps. She waves her hand; a cylinder of metal grows until it forms three peaks at the top.

I'm the first to understand. "You stole the trident. You were blaming me for it."

"You're not the sharpest sword but you still got it. _He_ told me that Poseidon would have killed you already, but I suppose your friend here is the one that saved you. I would have killed two- no, three Stymphalian Birds with one stone. You, the reason _he_ will not raise to power this year. Julie, the strongest daughter of Hecate ever. And Logan, the one who got you interested in the Greek world."

Julie sheaths the dagger and crosses the room to me. "Give me Logan," she says, holding her hand out. "Αλλαγή στη φυσική του μορφή."

Logan is sprawled across the floor after her words. He rubs his head. "Gods. That bloody witch could have changed me into something more attractive. Or at least actually changed me into what she promised. I wonder how many men have been trapped here like me."

I smile softly and start as a single bolt of fire skids beside my ear. My eyes quickly locate Circe, her hands full of fire.

"Go! I'll hold her off," Julie says, cracking her knuckles. She begins to murmur words that quickly turn to lightening. She turns to me. "Get to the ship. I'll be there in a second. GO!" Logan grabs my arm and we begin to run away from them. Unlike what Circe says, the sailboat was still tied to the main dock. I untie the rope to the sails and let them loosely hand before tying them again. We wait a while before in a magnificent explosion, the main building bursts into flames.

I could almost hear the shrilling sounds of screams. I wondered if Circe was dead, eaten alive by the flames. Within a minute later, Julie walks to the boat. Her eyes of slightly widen and looks at me.

"I think we should go," I say. Julie nods and controls the winds to pull us away from the island. I settle down behind the wheel as the sun reaches high point. Logan says something about wanting carrots and walks below deck.

"Hey, Melinda," Julie says, coming up beside me. I turn my head to her. "I think you might want this." She flicks her hand towards me and the trident grows in mid-air before I catch it. There was a twisting to the handle and the tips were sharp. I could feel the pulsing of the energy inside.

"What do I do?" I ask, walking over to the side of the boat.

"Release it," Julie says. "He's going to let us continue our journey now. We need a sign of good faith."

I lift the trident over the edge and drop it. The trident spins in a circle before landing at the bottom of the clear ocean. "Accept my offering, Poseidon as you let us complete the rest of our journey." The water flashes and when I am able to look again, the symbol of power is gone.

"We only have eight days left. And we're only halfway there."


	10. Talking

**The new Son of Neptune book is out! I've already read it (in one day) and I love. I totally recommend it.**

**I'm really trying hard with school and this story, but I promise those who read I'll get more up. Thanks for waiting. Review!**

**Percy Jackson and all Percy Jackson refrences belong to Rick Riordan. The Lotus Hotel part is from 'The Lightning Thief' pages 258 and 259. The Hephaestus's Junkyard part is from 'The Titan's Curse' pages 192 to 196.**

Talking about our life

No matter how much I don't like

Talk is never cheap between you and me

Look at how far we've come

And still we always come undone

Maybe that's how it always has to be

Talking by Descendants

* * *

><p>The storm came in the middle of the day. It rocked the boat with forceful waves that splashed anyone on the deck and tough winds that tore through our sails. Heavy amounts of rain and hail poured down on our heads. Dark clouds covered the sun and blue sky. Julie untied the sail and we run below deck.<p>

"I thought Zeus and Poseidon weren't trying to kill me," I say, rummaging through the cupboards in the small kitchen. The owners- or used to be- must have come aboard because there were large amounts of food. I grab a bag of chips off the shelves and throw one to both Logan and Julie.

"You did just return the trident. I don't get why they would be mad," Logan says, opening his bag and popping a few chips in his mouth.

"What do you think Julie?"

She shrugs with her blue eyes rolling. "Maybe you did something else wrong."

"Ha ha. Very funny," I say, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Care to enlighten me?"

She shrugs again. "How long is this storm going to last?"

"Go upstairs and tell me if it's letting up," I say, gesturing my head to the ceiling.

"Ha ha."

The storm doesn't seem to be letting up, so Julie produces a deck of cards. We play a few rounds of poker while talking a bit.

"Where else could Amphitrite be?" I ask, taking a glance at my cards.

"She's a naiad. The whole ocean is her home yet she comes to the Sea of Monsters? It doesn't make sense," Logan says, laying his upside-down on the table. "This is boring. I'm going to get some sleep."

He walks out of the kitchen and into one of the bedrooms off to the side. I watch him go before I realize Julie's watching me. "What?" I ask, brushing my red hair out of my eyes.

"You like him, don't you?" she asks.

My mouth falls open and my eyes widen "What!" I wince as I realize how loud my voice is. "Okay, maybe a little. Why would you ask?" I admit.

She shrugs. "I can tell. It's okay. I'll keep it a secret. But I'm just warning you about him. Logan's gone through some girl and there's one reason none of them stay to long."

"What's that?"

"Fear," she whispers. The word hangs in the air for a while. "Sure, he's sweet and _dashing_, but fear is the only reason any girl will leave him. If he loses control of his demigod powers, anyone near him see the one thing they're most afraid of. And once you see it, you don't go back. The next time you see him, your fear is all you see."

I turn my head to look out the window. Waves pound against the side, splashing white foam across the frame. "How do you know?" I ask, carefully.

I see her shudder out of the corner of my eye. "Believe me. You don't want him to lose control." I nod and get up to stretch. "Can I ask you a question?" Julie asks.

"Sure."

"You'll answer truthfully?" She raises her eyebrows at me and I nod. "Why didn't we go see you mom in Florida?"

My eyes move to her eyes then linger on the floor for a minute before I respond. "Truthfully… I don't have a family. My mom dropped me off at an orphanage down the street from the house after I was born." It's quiet for a while

"I'm sorry," Julie says.

I crack a small smile. "What about you?" I ask.

"My dad and my two step-siblings live in Virginia with my _step-mother_," she sneers the last word. "When I'm not at camp, I'm there."

"What does your family think of you?"

"My brother doesn't know about anything. My dad knows the truth of me being a demigod and all, but I usually spare him all of the details. If I told him, he probably would have a heart attack and die. But my sister is my best friend at home. She can see through the Mist."

"She can?" I exclaim.

"Yeah. She truly knows me. I tell her everything about camp. When we get back, remind me to write her a letter about the quest, Melinda. She even look up learning Greek Mythology to know what I'm talking about."

"What's her name?"

"Hope Anderson."

"That's nice. So, how long have you been at camp?"

"It's my fourth year here," she says, pulling a necklace from beneath her shirt. "You get one of these every summer. They're supposed to represent a major event of that summer, but they haven't had anything interesting since, well fifty years ago."

"What happened fifty years ago?" I ask, leaning in closer.

"Well, there was this giant war between this demigod of Poseidon and..." Julie looks around and leans in closer. "Kronos."

I nod, the evil Titan familiar in my head. "Why?"'

"A demigod of Hermes was rebellious against the gods and joined the Titans. In the end, Kronos was sent back into Tartarus and the Hermes demigod died. The world went back to normal, placid."

"What happened to the demigod? Is he still alive?"

"I think so. But he like had his sixty- six birthday a while ago," Julie says.

"Pretty old now," I comment, yawning. "I think I'll go get a few minutes of shut eyes before we figure out what we'll do next," I say, yawning. I walk into the other room and look around. The curtain over the window and sheets were all made out of the same, ugly floral material that clashed terribly with the mauve walls. I curl up in a ball on the empty bed and drift off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back to Persephone's garden," Bianca says. I was back in the garden of metal flowers and jewels.<p>

I raise a hand to pluck a diamond off of a plant and run it over my fingers. "Why have you brought me here?"

She shrugs a bit, the corners of her mouth pulling up into a smile. "You remind me of my brother, Nico. He always was a little impatient sometimes. I was going to show you parts of my past. Perhaps, you could take a lesson or two from them."

_The scene changes to a jazzed up hotel. There were lines of video games covered a decent section of the area of the large room and an indoor waterslide looped around the forty-story high glass elevator. There was a climbing wall, bungee-jumping and virtual-reality suits with laser guns. The sweet smell of lotus blossoms floated through the air as waitresses walked by, carrying trays full of drinks._

_There was a disturbance in the crowd. A small boy was being dragged by a man in a suit. I suppose he was a lawyer or something._

"_No!" he screamed. "I want to stay."_

"_But your father calls you out, Nico," the lawyer says. He walks over to an old-fashion video game. "Bianca."_

_The girl looks up from the screen with a startled look on her face. "Y-yes?"_

"_It's time to go."_

_She also resists, but the man grabs her by the hand and pulls her out the door of the casino._

_"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" a man says, running behind them._

_"I'm positive," the lawyer says, pushing through the revolving door and into a car parked near the curb._

_The scene shifts again. This time, Bianca and her little brother, Nico are being ushered down a hallway by a tall man with two different colored eyes. A lethally quick tail circles behind him. Nico is searching through a set of cards in his hands._

"_Stop that! Don't you ever think about yourself when we're being held by- by a monster?" Bianca says, pushing a set of cards out of his hands. They fall onto the floor._

"_Hey! That was Zeus's card. He's got lightning bolts that have six hundred damage and extra movement points for-"Nico begins ranting off before being interrupted by the man._

"_Quiet the both of you! You two demigods will work fine for Luke!" the man says in a heavy French accent._

_The scene shifts again. A group of five demigods, Bianca being recognized the most step out onto a highway from a junkyard. Another girl speaks. __**"We made it out. Thank the gods."**__ A boy with black hair and green eyes whirls around as a scrap mountain rises into a bronze giant in armor. __**"Talos!"**_

_The boy stutters, __**"Who- who's Talos?"**_

"_**One of Hephaestus's creations. But that can't be the original," **__the last girl says.__** "It's too small. A prototype, maybe. A defective model."**_

_The giant draws his hundred-foot long weapon with a metal against metal sounds. The first girl speaks again, __**"Someone took something. Who took something?"**_

_She stares at the first boy. He shakes his head. __**"I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."**_

_Bianca looks slightly guilty at this. The giant Talos takes a step towards them, covering half the length. __**"Run!"**__ a black kid with harry legs (?) shouts. They split up, running in different directions from the metal robot. One girl draws a shield with a horrible face of a Medusa on it and the other girl draws a bow and begins shooting arrows at its face._

_The black haired boy ends up next to Bianca. __**"You took something. That bow."**_

"_**No!"**__ she says, her voice quivering._

"_**Give it back! Throw it down!"**_

"_**I… I didn't take the bow!" **__she screams. __**"Besides, it's too late."**_

"_**What did you take?" **__There's a massive creaking noise and a shadow overhead. __**"Move!"**__ Bianca runs after the boy as they run down the hill. The giant's foot smashes a hole behind them._

"_**Hey, Talos!" **__the black kid yells. He raises his pipes to his lips and starts playing. Fallen power lines begin to dance until a pole flies out of the ground and connects with the giant's back leg. Electricity dances across its skin._

"_**Come on!" **__the other boy tells Bianca._

_She pulls a small figurine out of her pocket. __**"It… it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have."**_

"_**How could you think of Mythomagic at a time like this?" There were tears in her eyes. "Throw it down. Maybe the giant will leave us alone."**_

_She drops it, but nothing happens. The giant chases the black kid down the hill. It stabs its sword into the junk heap which misses him, but causes an avalanche that covers him. _

"_**No!" **__the girl with the shield shouts. She raises a spear and an arc of lightning shoots out of it and hits Talos's knee. It collapses momentarily confused, but rises again. It raises its foot to stomp and I see the bottom of its foot. There was a door at the heal of it with big, red letters: FOR MAINTENCE ONLY._

"_**Crazy**__**time,"**__ the black haired kid says._

_Bianca looks at him. __**"Anything."**_

_He tells her about the manhole on the foot of the giant. __**"There may be a way to control the thing. Switches or something. I'm going to try to get inside."**_

"_**How? You'll have to stand under its foot! You'll be crushed."**_

"_**Distract it. I'll just have to time it right."**_

_Bianca's jaw tightens. __**"No. I'll go."**_

"_**You can't. You're new at this! You'll die."**_

_She picks up the little metal statue from the ground and presses it into his hand. __**"It's my fault the monster came after us. It's my responsibility. Here. If anything happens, give that to Nico. Tell him… tell him I'm sorry."**_

"_**Bianca, no!"**_

_She doesn't listen. She runs toward the monster's left foot and tries to balance herself on the scrap heap that shifts underneath its weight._

_The girl with the bow yells, __**"What are you doing?"**_

"_**Get it to raise its foot!"**_

_The boy with the black hair and sea green eyes charges the beast and slashes its toe off. __**"Hey, Junk Boy! Down here."**_

_The monster raises its left foot and Bianca scrambles to open the manhole. She pulls the door open and climbs up the ladder just as the monster slams its foot into the ground. With every step it takes, she has to cling to the rungs tighter. She stops at a small room with various switches and controls around the walls and ceilings. She presses a few random switches until blue electricity travels over its controls. She backs away in shock, but metal clinks above her. She closes her eyes as the pile of steel falls over her._

I'm thrown back into Persephone's garden so fast, I feel sick. I am horrified at the way Bianca had died, sick to my stomach at how I had seen her death. Why had she decided to show me that?

It's quiet except for the joyous sounds of punishment behind us. "I'm sorry," I whisper.

She shakes her head, grimly. "It's unfair. But no one escapes Fate and Death. What happens happens for a reason. It was my fault I had taken that figure past the boundaries of the junk yard and I paid for the cost of it. That boy, I saved from my horrible death grew up to save the world. A few years later, he defeated Kronos and saved the world and Olympus. And that is why demigods still live today. Though he did have many close calls with Death," she muses.

I laugh slightly. "How did you come here?"

"Oh. Our father took pity on me and allowed me to help you. There aren't many great heroes of Hades. There are two sides of him; death and riches. Nico and I were part of the 'death' side of the family. I only know of one demigod from the 'riches' side of the family. But her riches were cursed. Our presence as Hades's demigods isn't totally welcomed at Camp Half-Blood or even in history. The Greeks feared Hades calling him 'the Silent One' or 'the Rich One.' You have just been introduced into the demigod world, but growing to fit in with other demigods takes time."

I nod.

"Remember as you progress through your quest, you will be challenged by many creatures. When you get back to camp, sacrifice some of your meal to Hades. I think he would appreciate that."

The ground shifts as if an earthquake was passing through and the dream blurs. I throw my hands up as to stop it from disappearing. Bianca looks worriedly at me. She bites her lip and says, "I think it got to you already."

* * *

><p>I wake up with water splashing beneath the ugly sheeted bed. I grab my backpack from besides me and dash up to the deck.<p> 


	11. You Found Me

**I only have a minute. Have you read ****Son of Neptune ****by Rick Riordan? It's great. Please review and favorite.**

**This is the last chapter to the quest, but more will come on what happens afterwards. I promise on the River Styx a new chapter will be up on next Friday. **

**All PJ references belong to Rick Riordan. Melinda, Logan, Julie and Evae belong to me.**

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><p>Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me<p>

Lying on the floor surrounded, surrounded'

Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you?

Just a little late, you found me, you found me

-You Found Me by the Fray

Let's just say waking up from a nap because of a sea monster from ancient history attacked us isn't really the way I wanted it to go. I had just seen a semi-disturbing death from a Hades demigod, Bianca and been told I wasn't totally going to fit in at camp and here I was staring at the two yellow eyes of a sea monster. It was like a snake, only ten times bigger. It was a vivid green and had eight inch yellow spikes protruding from the side.

The rain seemed to have no end as it crashed down on my shoulders. Julie's already out on the prow, her bow in hand. Logan comes up behind me.

"What happened?" he asks. The sea monster had smashed into the side of the boat, causing a massive leak and was now circling around the sides.

"What do you think?" Julie asks in a sarcastic tone, bounding over to us.

"What is it?" I ask, pushing my sobbing wet hair out of my eyes. Julie says something, but the words are lost to the pounding wind, waves and rain. "What!"

"Cetus!" she screams.

"Which monster is that?"

"You know the one from the myth of Perseus. He was supposed to eat Andromeda after Cassiopeia offended a god, I forget who. Cetus was slain by him afterwards," Logan says.

The sea monster roars at his name and slams his head sideways into the mast. Wood and water flies everywhere as I flatten myself against the deck. When I look up, the mast had been thrown off the boat and sunk. I tap my bracelet and the sword appears in my hand. I stand up and slice wildly into the air. It skims off the scales in a series of sparks. It snarls and like a hammer, slams its head at me.

I jump sideways and my sword falls from my hand. The boat's deck shakes at the head's impact and my eyes widen when I see the foot long fangs. As the face lowers down with slit eyes, I feel like I'm going to die. I close my eyes and something gooey splatters on me.

"Ew!"

A bronze sword had forced itself through the scales and the top of the mouth of the sea monster. Oozing green blood splatters onto me and the sea monster collapses into the ocean. The sheer weight of the dead beast drags it to the ocean floor. I stare shell-shocked at the edge of the boat until Logan speaks to me.

"Melinda?" he asks, softly. He helps me up and stares into my eyes with his hazel eyes. "Are you okay?" My vision goes blurry and he wraps his arms around me, murmuring softly in my ear. "It's okay. It's okay." I unconsciously note the hint of pine and sea water on him. After a few minutes, my vision clears. Over Logan's shoulder, I see Julie shrug through the thick rain and turn to examine the damage of the sailboat. A minute later, she turns to us.

"Not to ruin the mood or anything, but we're in trouble," she announces. I slip out of his hug and turn to her.

"What is it?" Logan asks.

"Without the mast, we're not going anywhere."

For a minute, all I can think about is Logan until I understand what she means. "You can't like, make a mast appear or something."

"I could fix it with a bit of my magic like I did earlier, but without it, conjuring a new one up could take a lot of my energy out of me. And if we run into another sea monster or something worse, we're going to need all the energy we can get," Julie shrugs. She pulls her hair out of a ponytail and fixes it. "Until we can think of anything, we're not going anywhere."

I pinch the bridge of my nose and stare down at the slippery deck. "Let's just rest for a bit and decide in the morning or whenever we feel like it. Maybe tomorrow, Zeus will part the skies."

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><p>The next morning, I open my eyes to sunshine pouring through the window. I grab my bag from next to me and run up the stairs. All signs of the dark, stormy clouds were gone and only the sun was shining. There were no clouds in the sky and a slight breeze rippled my hair.<p>

Logan comes up behind and slips his hand into mine. "Wow. You pray to Zeus last night to stop the storm?"

I laugh slightly and I stare out at the horizon. I frown and Logan notices it.

"What's wrong?"

"Is it me or are we moving?"

A cloudy shape at the horizon seemed to be growing bigger as if we were moving despite having a mast. Logan bends down at the side of the boat and places his hand into the water and frowns also.

"That's impossible," he murmurs.

He unsheathes his sword and slices a piece of the side to a decent chunk. After traveling to the other side of the sailboat, he drops it into the ocean. The piece of wood bobbles under the surface of the water and begins to drift behind us.

Logan looks at me and I look at him and we both shout the same word. "Julie!"

Julie appears next to us. Her crystal blue eyes have dark circles underneath them and her ponytailed blonde hair is messy. "You know yesterday while you two were allowed to go to sleep, I stayed up and found Cetus outside of my window. And then last night, I bucketed out all the water and fixed the leak. Can't I get some time to sleep like you two did yesterday?"

"It's important," I insist. "The boat's moving."

Her eyes widen despite her tiredness. She stares at the cloudy island a ways in front of us and she nods. "I think this quest might be done soon. Something is drawing the boat towards that island. Now, I'm going to get some sleep until we get there. If anyone wakes me, I swear I'll…" She draws her finger across her throat like a knife and raises her eyebrows at us.

She lies down next to the steering control and passes out on the couch there. Twenty minutes later, give or take a few, the island is within shooting an arrow distance. I nudge Julie and she sits up despite being unconscious.

"What!"

"We're-"I start saying. The sailboat hits something and we're thrown to the deck. I sit up in an inch of water. Once again, the side of the boat has a hole in it. Logan stands up across from us.

"Begin bailing!" he shouts.

"There's too much water. We should just grab what we got and get off!" Julie yells, throwing a bag towards me. I pull it around my back as the water level increases. I half-walk half-swim towards the side of the boat which is only about six inches above the sea and dive off. My eyes sting with the salt water, but I find out soon it's better than going blind against the sharp rocks littering the bottom floor. My hand catches a razor edge and I push off of the ocean floor to the surface.

My head breaks the surface and I breathe in air quickly before another wave covers me. I come back up again and spot Julie waving at me from the shallows near the beach. I swim about five feet before another wave covers my head. A hand grabs my hand and my thoughts instantly flash to Poseidon. _Again?_

Instead of pulling me down like I thought, the hand drags me sideways until my toes drag into the sand.

"Are you okay?"

I look up in awe. Standing above of me was a teenage girl, only about eighteen at the most. She had wavy brown hair and soft violet eyes that seemed to swirl slightly. She wore a mid-thigh length purple dress, accented with dark plums and lilacs and a silver opal necklace.

"Melinda!" Julie and Logan shout simultaneously. "Who are you?" Logan asks the girl.

"You're a Nereid, aren't you?" I ask.

She smiles. "Very good. I am Evae." She pronounced her name Ev- a.

"Where are we?" Logan asks, looking down the length of the beach.

The beach was lined with white sand and reminds me terribly of Circe's beach. Polished grey boulders formed near the edge of the water. There was a small tropical forest growing out of the tide's way with exotically colored flowers in vibrant shades of orange, pink and purple. A yellow butterfly flies towards us and then lazily floats back into the vines.

"This is the island of the Nereids."

My mind is turning as I remember what a Nereid is. "Nereids were the fifty daughters of Pontus and Doris."

She sighs, the sound an ocean breeze. "I don't get why everyone messes that up. I'm surely positive if I gathered all of my sisters on this island alone, we would find there were more than fifty of us."

Julie's eyes light up. "Would one of your sisters be Amphitrite by chance?"

Evae nods. "Would you like to speak to her?"

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Julie and Logan look surprised at her. "You're- Are you saying she's here, right now, Evae at this island?"

She nods. "I could take you to her. The rest of us Nereids stay in a cave beneath the island. I'm sure there's another way to get to the cave besides going underwater. My sisters take likings to most mortal men who find themselves here. They do not swim through the underwater passage, but instead find themselves here. I'm pretty sure I know the way to the cave," Evae says, walking to the jungle area. Her bare feet leave faint footsteps behind her.

Logan, Julie and I exchange a quick glance and follow her. She pushes aside an area of vines and disappears between the trees. We trudge after her, occasionally swatting flies and untangling hair or clothing from thorns. The soil soon turns into rocky soil and we begin hiking uphill. Evae is commenting on everything from pretty rocks that disappear into her pocket no matter how many she grabs or our modern clothing.

"Here we are," she says. We had climbed about halfway up the hill and came to a cave in the side of the mountain. "Remember to stick with me and you'll be fine."

She walks into the cave with us behind her and we stop. The cavern was a cylinder so, from our height you could look completely down to the bottom. Little pools and puddles were off to the side and a trail circle around the outer edge to the bottom. There were occasional breaks in the wall where curtains hung over doorways. Each pool was clear blue and sometimes had an animal in or near it. A starfish was at the bottom of the nearest pool.

"Wow," Julie says.

Evae looks at us with a smile. "Amphitrite is usually at the bottom of the place. Come on." She sets off down the trail, waving to other Nereids and running her hand over the pools. The nymphs were clad in bikinis or other swimsuits. They all had the same flawless skin, bright eyes and long hair. They all give her a subtle shocked look before smiling quite fake at her.

At the bottom of the path was the opening towards the ocean. The water was clear enough to see the pink and yellow coral and fish nervously flitting through there. Three Nereids were at the bottom. The first was situated in a coral throne, older than the others but still had the same flawless complexion. The second had her feet in the water. She wore a silver crown on her head and she pets a dolphin on the head. The third was in the water and at the sight of us, shrieked lightly and dove into the water, disappearing from view

"Evae. You return," the first one says.

Evae raises her eyes from the second to the first. "Yes, Mother. I was helping some demigods."

"And before that?" the second one says sharply.

"I was only being her friend. She has already had a hard life without being punished by you for everything she seems to do. I was only trying to make her feel welcomed!" Evae shouts, her face blushing pink. Above us, other nymphs laugh slightly.

The second one opens her mouth to speak, but the first beats her to it. "Evae, you were a guest at your sister's kingdom and you did something you were not allowed to."

"Technically, Poseidon owns the sea not Amphitrite."

"Doris, please tell Evae to stop being unreasonable. Please, Mother," the one with the crown says.

Doris sighs. "I do believe your father is calling me. You two are sisters. Figure it out among yourselves." She picks herself up from the throne and disappears up the trail.

Evae huffs and the sound is like a tsunami wave. "Hello, Amphitrite."

"Evae," the second one says. Her tone of voice is clearly uninterested.

"I brought these demigods to see you. I believe they were asking about your disappearance from Olympus and Poseidon's kingdom."

"Amphitrite? Why were you gone?" I ask, amazed that the annoying nymph could be the missing goddess.

"It was that child. How many times must I tell her to get lost?" Amphitrite say, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. "My husband has far too many affairs among mortals these days." She turns her green eyes to me. "And I see his brother doesn't fall far from that too."

"Affairs? I thought after that prophecy, the Big Three weren't allowed to have any more children," Julie says.

"Yet look where we are at. When Poseidon first saw me, I had been dancing with my sisters at Naxos. After a while, I found he wanted me to be his bride. I had had power back in Ancient Greece, but no one remembers my name anymore," She shakes her head. "He only has power now. I bet he doesn't even remember me."

"Please. Poseidon has been doing anything he could to get you back. He was searching everywhere for you. Please. My own life depends on you getting back to him," I say.

Her green eyes study me for a few minutes and she sighs. "Very well. I will return to him and _that_ child. But I shall return you three demigods back to your camp," she says.

"Wait! Return us-"I try to say before she snaps her fingers.

A second later, we find ourselves standing in the middle of the campfire area, a small yellow fire next to us. In a second, the flames turn into bright purple as a hundred campers stand up in awe, their jaws open. Chiron jumps from his wheelchair in a spectacular change to centaur. An Aphrodite daughter on the opposite side shrieks as her five-hundred dollar coat bursts into flames. Julie conjures up a quick whip of water that soaks her instantly.

I nonchalantly grab a marshmallow from nearby. "We're back," I say before popping the snack into my mouth.

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><p><strong>Review and favorite.<strong>


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